11 arrested for kidnappings

Gary Spaulding, Senior Gleaner Writer

Eleven suspected kidnappers are behind bars and investigators say they are making significant headway in the case of the prominent Manchester businessman whose son was kidnapped last year.

Among the 11 are eight, including two women, who have been nabbed on reasonable suspicion of being part of a kidnapping ring.

Another three persons who kidnapped a St Ann businesswoman three weeks ago have also been apprehended.

Praise for st ann cops

Head of the Organised Crime Investigation Division (OCID), Superintendent Fitz Bailey, told The Gleaner that three of the eight suspected to be involved in the kidnapping ring are from Bog Walk and Spanish Town in St Catherine; three are from Trelawny and two from St Ann.

"We are looking at the roles of the suspects from Trelawny," Bailey told The Gleaner.

He had high praise for the St Ann police who, he said, apprehended the three suspected of kidnapping the businessman from the parish and helped to break the back of the kidnapping ring, operating in several areas.

"We are of the view that the persons we now have in custody for the St Ann kidnapping might be involved in other kidnappings as well."

The senior cop said the eight were arrested at various times over the last nine days.

Bailey told The Gleaner that the arrested persons would be interviewed during the course of this week in the presence of their attorneys.

He said the nature of the offences prevented him from speaking to the specifics of the cases being investigated.

He said a probe into the nature and extent of the involvement of at least four of the eight persons arrested in other kidnappings would also be done by the OCID, and stressed that the arrests did not signal the end of the investigation.